Pittsburgh Travel Guides

Pittsburgh spotlight

Pittsburgh is a welcoming place with a mild climate. It has a dramatic setting at the point where 3 major rivers come together, and is home to numerous world-class museums. At mealtimes, you'll be able to choose from a wide range of international cuisines in restaurants found across the city.

Pittsburgh's accommodation choices run from centrally located, modern chain hotels to quiet bed and breakfasts in leafy suburbs. Some of these guesthouses are in restored stone mansions, and rooms are often decorated with period furniture. Motel-style accommodation, with easy motor vehicle access, is widely available in the outer suburbs.

Pittsburgh's shopping choices run from big-name international fashion houses, to second hand bookstores. You can browse street markets in The Strip, and for everyday items there are department stores and shopping malls. For an unusual souvenir, take a trip out to Shadyside. You'll be able to explore local gift shops, and choose from a range of stores selling unique handcrafted jewelry.

Pittsburgh has so many galleries and museums, it can be hard to keep count. You could spend days touring the exhibits in the various Carnegie Museums, and while away another afternoon learning about the work of Andy Warhol. And if you want a change from art, you can tour the University of Pittsburgh's Nationality Rooms, or ride a wooden cable car up Mt. Washington for a panoramic view.

Once more famous for its gritty steelworks than for high art, Pittsburgh has reinvented itself. As a centre of culture and entertainment, it offers a heady mix of world-class museums, restaurants, shopping, and a lively nightlife scene. Even its natural setting - at the confluence of two mighty rivers, overlooked by a steep escarpment - is a sight worth anyone’s time.

In Pittsburgh you'll have a vast choice of places to drink, hit the dance floor, or listen to live music. The 2 liveliest neighbourhoods are The Strip and South Side. Oakland's nightlife is geared towards students. Downtown means a relatively quiet at night, with a focus on highbrow culture.

Whatever age your kids might be, Pittsburgh has activities to suit them. They can splash down a waterslide, ride a roller coaster, or enjoy nature in a public park. For animal lovers, the city has a zoo, an aquarium, and an aviary. And while most museums have exhibits for children, some in Pittsburgh were created especially for them.

Thanks in part to wealthy patrons such as Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick, Pittsburgh has a high concentration of art and culture venues. You can enjoy a Broadway show, listen to classical music, or watch a play. Elsewhere, former industrial areas have been transformed into art spaces, where you can admire the latest creations of local and international artists.

Pittsburgh's restaurant scene covers dozens of global cuisines, reflecting the origins of the immigrants who helped build the city. You'll also find plenty of choice in every price category, in every neighbourhood, although most high-end outlets cluster in Downtown. If you want a touch of local colour, look out for Primanti Bros. This chain of sandwich shops has around 30 branches all over town.